president obama and mitt romney are gearing up for the first debate. they are going to face off in denver on wednesday night and the stakes are high. a good performance can pump up a party's enthusiasm and per sway undecided voters. >> who will pay attention to this and look for something maybe to make them change their mind for people who aren't completely thrilled about their choice. >> both of the guys have been through an awful lot of debates in their careers, they are both pretty good, they'll both be well prepared. >> the primary focus of this week's debate is domestic policy. >> a new poll from the washington post shows president obama leading among swing state voters. 52% of likely voters in battleground states say they would vote for the president if the election were today. 41% say they woo pick mr. romney. those numbers are similar from the washington post polls, in florida, ohio and virginia. >> developing overseas tonight, a grim milestone in the war in afghanistan. the death toll for u.s. troops has now reached 2,000. the most recent deat